Dress-placket closer.



PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

A. w. SHANK. DRESS PLACKET CLOSER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1906.

Pmmm HJAHHHH gunrntov MAM nu: NORRIS FI'TIRS 50., wAsmumuN n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS W. SHANK, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO CLARENCE E. WALKER,OF WINDSOR, ONTARIO, CANADA.

DRESS-PLAOKET CLOSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed June 5, 1905- Serial No. 263,702.

To all whom it may conccrn Be it known that I, AUcUs'rUs W. SHANK, acitizen of the United States, residing at De troit, in the county ofWVayne, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Dress-Placket Closers; and I do declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thefigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to a dress placket closer, and consists in theconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth andpointed out particularly in the claim.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient meanswhich will retain the placket 0r slit in the dress skirt securely closedso as to prevent the gaping thereof and in which the arrangement is suchas to enable the engaging parts which effect the closure of the placket,to be readily disengaged for the removal of the skirt, the device beingsimple, easyof operation, and of a character to enable it to'be readilyattached, and when in position, is concealed from view, and is of such acharacter as to obviate any unsightl protrusions.

The a ove object is attained by the device illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view, showing theplacket of a skirt, and the application of my invention thereto. Fig. 2is a longitudinal sectional view through the spring blades which areemployed to close the placket, portions of their central parts beingbroken away.

' Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the spring blade having the terminalkeepers, and the locking blade in position for removal. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the locking blade whose ends are adapted to beconfined in said keepers to close the placket. Fig. 5 is a transversesection through the blade and keeper. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view inlongitudinal section through one end of the blade and keeper thereon.Fig. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the dress placketclosed by this improved fastening means.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1

of said blade, there being an aperture 0 formed through the keeper andblade at each end to assist in retaining the keeper in position and toafford means for attaching the blade in place in a garment. It isdesigned that the blade 1 shall be inclosed in a casing 4 formed of twopieces of fabric secured upon opposite sides of the blade by means ofguttapercha tissue, or by stitching, whereby the blade is concealed andprotected from moisture, and at the same time means is afforded forsecuring the blade to the margin 9 of the placket by stitching throughthe margins of said casing and through the apertures 3, as shown in Fig.1, there being through the fabric of the casing, a slotted openingcommunicating with the keepers to permit of the ready entrance of theends of the blade 5 therein. Said blade 5 is similar to blade 1, withthe exception that it has no keepers at its ends, but instead, itsterminals are adapted to enter into said keepers for the purpose ofsecuring said blades together. Like blade 1, said blade 5 is inclosed ina casing 6 with its end portions 7 protruding therefrom. The blade 5 issecured to the opposite margin 10 of the placket by stitching throughthe margins of its casing and by stitching through the apertures 8formed through said blade near its ends.

The blades being secured to the opposite margins of the placket openingas described, said placket may be readily closed by spring ing blade 5,as shown in Fig. 3, so as to cause its ends to enter the keepers at theends of blade 1, when by allowing blade 5 to straighten, the two bladesare detachably locked together and the placket closed.

The blades are very thin and flexible so as to enable them to conform tothe shape of the garment, yet they are sufficiently stiff edgewise toprevent the placket from gaping. The blades may be disengaged to allowthe placket to open, by grasping the blade 5near its center and pullingoutwardly thereon until its ends are withdrawn from the keepers at theterminals of blade 1.

This device forms a simple and efficient means for closing the placketand yet allows said placket to be readily opened when desired.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is In a dress placket closer, thecombination of a straight, thin blade, keepers embracing the ends ofsaid blade and having terminal portions pressed into contact therewithto close the ends of the keepers, there being an aperture through eachend of the blade and the terminal portion of the keeper lying contiguousthereto, a casing embracing the keepers and blade having a projectingmargin for stitching to a garment, a second blade, a casing embracingsaid second blade also having a projecting margin for stitching to agarment, the ends of the last mentioned blade projecting beyond the endsof its casing, means for securing said last mentioned blade againstlongitudinal movement in its casing, the projecting ends of the last mentioned blade being adapted to enter the keepers of the first mentionedblade, the closed endsof which hold the last mentioned blade againstlongitudinal movement.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

AUGUSTUS WV. SHANK. Witnesses:

E. S. WHEELER, 1. G. HowLETT.

